Carcinogenicity of Tobacco-Smoke Constituents

Wynder and Hoffmans study on the carcinogenicity of tobacco-smoke constituents was based on the role of mouse skin in assaying carcinogenicity raising questionable issues such as the ability of alpha-emitting radioisotopes e.g. polonium 210 to penetrate deep dividing cell layer of skin and the level of polonium concentration necessary to promote carcinogenicity. Other studies such as Yuile et al.s reported on low doses of radiation as an important etiological factor in the development of bronchial cancer among miners supporting experimental evidence on the carcinogenic effect of polonium from cigarette smoking. Although it is difficult to isolate the extent of carcinogenic effect of any particular component of cigarette smoking it is nevertheless necessary to identify the causative agents in cigarette smoking as the public could be exposed to such agents from other sources e.g. radionuclides from environmental contamination or aromatic hydrocarbons as air pollutants.